Surgical mask



Nov. 29, 1966 L. SACHS 3,288,138

SURGICAL MA SK Filed Oct. 14. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. Z0505Saefls BY M 0 444%,

I? T TORNEYS L. SACHS SURGICAL MASK Nov. 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledOct. 14 1965 INVENTOR Z 0 0/5 SIC'KS yww, fiugyfijm ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent 3,288,138 SURGICAL MASK Louis Sachs, 11 Slade Ave.,Baltimore, Md. Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 505,098 Claims. (Cl.128-139) This application is a continuation-in-part of applicationSerial No. 231,206 filed October 17, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention has reference to a new and improved face mask which isadapted for use in hospitals, operating rooms and other applicationswherein a face mask must be Worn to prevent contamination of anantiseptic or sterilized area with exhaled air.

Conventional face masks as commonly used in hospitals or the like areformed of layers of fabric joined together, or other materials such asporous paper, cellulose, or the like. Such a mask is tied or otherwisesecured to the wearers head, covering the lower nose and the mouth. Suchmask constructions suffer major shortcomings; the fabric or othermaterial, being permeable, tends to become warm and moist as the personbreathes through the mask. If the person is wearing glasses and the maskis flexible throughout, air escapes upwardly between the mask and theface, tending to fog the glasses. Such factors lead to considerablediscomfort, as when performing surgical operations over prolongedperiods of time. Moreover, when a porous face mask is used, the person,upon inhaling, tends to absorb the moisture of the exhaled air with theassociated bacteria previously exhaled. Depending upon the length oftime the porous mask is used, this moist air laden with bacteria onexhalation may infect the sterile areas and instruments which are beingused.

In addition prior art surgical mask constructions commonly cause aturbulent air flow in the area between .the mask and the wearers facewhich results in the intermixing of fresh air with exhaled air and theobviously undesirable rebreathing of large quantities of previously exhaled air. Furthermore, prior surgical mask constructions have notsatisfactorily maintained engagement with the face of the wearerthroughout the various and complex facial contortions or movements suchas occur during the wearers talking and breathing.

This invention contemplates a face mask which obviates the shortcomingsof such prior art constructions, such that the mask may be worn overprolonged periods of time with an absolute minimum of discomfort orchildculty in breathing, fogging of glasses, tendency to infect thesterile working area, or the like.

According to this invention, there is provided an impermeable moldedcup-shaped mask which is adapted to cover the nose and mouth of thewearer. The material forming the mask is fairly rigid but flexible, anda thin metal strip is carried at the top of the mask on an inwardlyfolded lip, this metal strip conveniently being bent to conform to theconfiguration of the nose to block escape of the air from the upperregion of the mask. The impermeable mask is formed with air passageswhich extend from the central region of the mask (adjacent the nostrilsand mouth) to the side edges adjacent the wearers cheeks so as to openposteriorly of the head of the wearer and thereby allow air to flow fromand to the rearward part of the face mask in opposed relation to thedirection the person .is facing. Thus, during a typical operationwherein the operators and assistants bend forwardly so as to facegenerally downwardly toward the operative site, the air passages openingposteriorly of the head of the wearer will be directed upwardly towardthe usual origin of the air-conditioning at the ceiling of the operatingroom and away from the operative site and away from assistants.Furthermore, the air passages of a surgical mask constructed accordingto the present invention are large, smooth conduits flared outwardlytoward their open ends communicating with the atmosphere to thus enablethe wearer to exhaust large volumes of exhaled warm moist air rapidlyand take in a similar supply of fresh cool air. Moreover the large orWide flaring air passages are purposely short, terminating in the areaof the wearers cheeks and are substantially straight so as to precludeturbulent air flow and thus prevent, or at least minimize, undesirablemixing of fresh air with exhaled air.

The mask according to this invention is constructed of impermeablematerial, and the particular material may be selected with a view tominimizing expense so that the mask is disposable after use. The mask isconstructed and arranged to direct air rearwardly out of the mask uponexhaling, the impermeable construction preventing the area of the maskadjacent the nostrils and mouth from becoming adversely moist and warm.Moreover, the mask according to this invention is readily adapted forprotection against inhalation of dust and the like by insertion offilters into the air passages.

These and still further objects, advantages, and novel features ofthepresent invention will become apparent in the specification and claims,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a surgical mask embodying the presentinvention worn on the face of a person;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of the mask shown in FIGURE 1 as viewedfrom its open end;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 33 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 44 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a partial perspective view of the face mask showing amodified embodiment thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a surgical mask embodying a modified form ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the surgical mask shown in FIGURE 6as viewed from its open or face engaging end;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE .9 is a side View, partly .in section, of the surgical mask shownin FIGURE 6 worn on the face of a person with their mouth in a closedposition; and

FIGURE 10 is a side view, partly in section, of the surgical mask shownin FIGURE 6 worn on the face of a person with their mouth .in an openedposition.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a moldedcup-shaped face mask 10 formed of any suitable material which isimpermeable and fairly rigid, but sufficiently flexible so as to conformabout its edges 12 to the face of the wearer. The mask 10 is of a sizeto cover the mouth and vlower nose of the wearer, with the upper regionof the mask positioned so as not to interfere with any glasses thepersonvmay be wearing. The lower end of the mask 10 extends under thechin in comfortable secure fashion. While numerous diiferent materialsfor forming the mask 10 will be apparent to those skilled in the art,typical materials will include, for example: paper covered withcheesecloth and starched; polyethylene; polyvinylidene chloride or gauzeor similar material impregnated with a suitable resin material so as tobe impermeable.

The mask 10 has a cup or central portion 14 where the nostrils and mouthare received and has outwardly extending channel portions 16 and 18which flare outwardly along each side of the mask from this centralportion 14 to the edge 12. The mask 10, being of unitary construction,preferably has these extending portions molded or pressed therein sothat the same is readily adapted for mass production techniques, andthese channel portions 16 and 18 retain their shape when the mask 10 isworn.

The inside surface of the mask adjacent each of the channel portionscarries a strip 20 and 22, respectively, to define thereby air passages17 and 19 on each side of the mask 10 which freely communicates with thecentral portion 14 of the mask 10 and with the surrounding atmosphere atthe rear edge 12. In order to ensure a substantially complete exchangeof air with each inhalation and exhalation, the mask 10 is constructedand proportioned such that when worn with the wearers mouth and nostrilsreceived within the cup or central portion 14, the volume enclosedbetween the wearers face and the central portion 14 of the mask issubstantially equal to the combined volume of the two air passages 17and 19.

Conveniently, these strips 20 and 22 may be stiff paper strips, e.g.cardboard, joined to the mask as by gluing as shown in FIGURES l-4;alternatively, the mask 10 may be formed initially with a shape so thatthe passages are defined by joining tucked inner edge portions 23 of themask together (FIGURE Thus, if the material is polyethylene or the like,the edge portions 23 may be heat sealed together if desired.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the rearward extremity of the strips20 and 22 which define the inner walls of the air passages 17 and 19,respectively, extend rearwardly beyond the rear edge 12 of the mask 10.This arrangement ensures that the air passage will not be obstructedwhen the strips are positioned adjacent the checks of the person wearingthe mask 10. The forward end of the strips 20 and 22 are each formedwith an arcuate cut-out at 20a and 22a respectively to provide anenlarged opening into the air passage.

The mask has an inwardly folded top lip 24 which is adapted to engagethe nose in a snug fit, as will now be explained. The lip 24 carriesalong its bottom surface (prior to being folded under the adjacentsurface of the mask) a long strip of thin metal or the like 26, which ismanually bended to conform to the nose configuration. This strip 26 isconveniently glued to the lip inward-1y of the free end of the lip 24,so that the lip also aids in preventing air from flowing upwardly as tocause fogging of glasses. Also, when the lip 24 is folded beneath themask surface, the metal strip 26 does not directly abut the persons noseand render the mask uncomfortable in this region. In order to secure themask about a persons head, upper and lower straps 28 and 30,respectively, are joined to the opposite sides of the mask in the regionof the edge 12. These straps 28 and 30 may be of onepiece elasticconstruction or otherwise tied in any convenient manner.

Thus it will be appreciated that the air passages 17 and 19 are of asmooth configuration without any abrupt bends or the like as would tendto cause mixture of inhaled and exhaled air and thus turbulent flow ofair into and out of the mask 10. The air is completely exhausted uponexhaling due to the large passages, and breathing is in no way impaired.The person wearing the mask can talk freely and the tendency of upwardlyescaping air to fog a persons glasses is obviated. As desired, the maskcan be made of cheap material so as to be economically disposable aftera single use. Alternatively, the masks ca be sterilized and used overagain.

Referring now to FIGURES 6-10 of the drawings, there is shown a modifiedform of cup-shaped surgical mask 110 of impermeable molded constructionembodying the invention. The construction of the mask 110 differs fromthat of the mask 10 just described, in that the upper and lower portionsof the edge 112 are provided with inwardly turned, or reflected,flexible, resilient sealing flaps, 115 and 116 respectively, and t heinterior surface of each lateral air passage, 117 and 119, is providedwith at least a partial lining, 121 and 123 respectively, of suitableabsorbent linsey-Woolsey like material such as the gauze-like materialsold under the trademark Kling by Johnson & Johnson Company.

The upper or nose area sealing flap 115 and the lower or chin areasealing flap 116, which are preferably formed integral with thecup-shaped mask each extend from the edge 112 inwardly toward thecentral portion 114 but diverge from the interior surface 125 so as toterminate in free edge portions, 127 and 129 respectively, spacedinwardly of the interior surface 125 of the mask in their normal orrelaxed condition. As best seen in FIGURE 7 the free edge 127 of theupper sealing flap 115 is shaped or contoured with a slot 132 having akeyhole-like configuration so as to conform generally to the nose andadjacent face area of a wearer. The closed curved edge portion 133 ofthe slot 132 is adapted to engage the bridge of the wearers nose and thestraight side edges 135 and 137 of the slot 132 are adapted to engagethe alae of wearers nose. By virtue of this construction .it will beseen that since the sealing flap 115 is of flexible resilient material,a universal fit, i.e., one which readily accommodates various sizenoses, is provided. The free edge 129 of the lower sealing flap 116 isalso preferably provided with an arcuate configuration or contour inorder to conform generally to the chin area of the face of a wearer.

As best seen in FIGURES 6 and 8, the air passage lining materialcomprises elongated strips of gauze 121 and 123- which are attached tothe exteriorly facing surfaces 134 and 122 respectively which defineinterior wall portions of the outwardly flaring air passages 117 and119. The gauze strips 121 and 123 which can be attached to theirrespective plate-like strips and 122 by means of a suitable adhesive(not shown) or by mechanical fastener means such as staples 138, extendlongitudinally of their respective strips 120, 122 from a locationwithin the air passages 117 and 119 to a location beyond the edge 112 ofthe mask 110. The gauze strips 121 and 123 serve to collect moisturefrom the air passing through the air passages 117 and 119 and therebylimit the obviously undersirable dripping of such moisture in the areaof use. In addition the strips 121 and 123 function to collect dust fromthe air passing through the air passages 117 and 119. When alinsey-woolsey like material such as Kling gauze is employed, the strips121 and 123, will effectively collect dust in both a dry and moistcondition.

In order to secure and retain the mask 110 in operative position on thewearers face, there is provided a strap means 128 joined to oppositelateral sides of the mask in the region of the edge 112. The strap 128may be of one piece elastic construction or made of two or more elementswhich can be tied about the head of the wearer in any convenient manner.

As best seen in FIGURES 9 and 10, when the mask 110 is operativelypositioned so as to cover or enclose the mouth and nostrils of a personwearing the same, the upper sealing flap 115 will be deflected from itsrelaxed position (shown in dotted lines) toward the interior surface125, so as to conform to the contours of, and resiliently engage, thenose and adjacent facial areas of the wearer. Similarly, the lowersealing flap 116, which underlies the chin of the wearer, will bedeflected from its relaxed position (shown in dotted lines) toward theunderlying portion of the interior surface 125 so as to conform to, andresiliently engage, the chin and adjacent facial areas of the wearer.

By virtue of the just described construction wherein the flexiblesealing flaps 115 and 116 resiliently engage the wearers face and arefree to flex in response to the wearers facial movements, the resilientsealing engagement of the mask 110 with the wearers face will becomfortably maintained throughout the various facial contortions andmovements which normally occur such as in talking and breathing. Thus,as illustrated in FIGURE wherein the wearers facial expression is shownas changed from the closed mouth condition of FIGURE 9, to the opened.mouth condition, the flexible upper and lower sealing flaps 115 and 116have accommodated the change in the wearers facial expression by flexingtoward the interior surface 125 while continuing in resilient sealingengagement with the wearers face. Of course as in the earlier describedembodiment of the invention the flaring air passages 117 and 119 openposteriorly of the wearers head so as to direct exhaled air away fromthe direction in which the wearer faces. In addition, the mask 110 isconstructed and proportioned such that when worn with the wearers mouthand nostrils received within the central portion 114, the volumeenclosed between the wearers face and the central portion 114 issubstantially equal to the combined volume of the air passages 117 and119.

The flexible sealing flaps 115 and 116 can, as illustrated, be formed ormolded integral with the mask 110, or, alternatively, they can be formedseparately from a suitable flexible resilient material such as rubber orplastic and be attached to the edge 112 of the mask by a suitablebonding means such as adhesive, as Will be apparent to those skilled inthe art.

From the foregoing description of the various embodiments of thisinvention, it is evident that the objects of this invention, togetherwith many practical advantages are successfully achieved. Whilepreferred embodiments of my invention have been described, numerousfurther modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthis invention.

Therefore, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth orshown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical mask comprising: a unitary cup-shaped mask of impermeablemolded construction having a central portion of a size and shape tocover the mouth and nostrils of a person wearing the same, andsufficiently flexible to conform with its edge region generally to theoutline of the persons face about the nose; said mask having integralmolded channel portions defining the exterior walls of air passagesextending from the central portion of said mask rearwardly along eachside of said mask, said air passages flaring outwardly toward the rearso as to open substantially adjacent the cheek of the person wearingsaid mask and in a direction facing posteriorly of the head of theperson wearing said mask; substantially flat plate-like means definingthe interior walls of said air passages, said plate-like means extendingrearwardly beyond the edge of said mask and lying adjacent the check ofthe person wearing said mask so as to prevent the cheeks of said personsfrom obstructing said air passages, the size of said central portionbeing such that the volume enclose-d between the face of the personwearing the mask and said central portion is substantially equal to thecombined volume of said air passages; and strap means joined to saidmask for supporting the latter about the persons head, whereby exhaledair is exhausted from said cup-shaped mask through said air passages ina direction posteriorly of the head of the person Wearing said mask anda substantially complete exchange of air within said mask occurs witheach inhalation and exhalation.

2. The surgical mask defined in claim 1 wherein the upper edge of saidmask is provided with a flexible sealing flap means which extendsinwardly from said upper edge toward the central portion of said maskand is adapted to conform to, and resiliently engage, the nose andadjacent face areas of a person wearing said mask, and the lower edge ofsaid mask is provided with a second flexible sealing flap means whichextends inwardly from said lower edge toward the central portion of saidmask and is adapted to conform to, and resiliently engage, the chin andadjacent face areas of said person wearing said mask so that resilientsealing engagement between said mask and the face of a person wearingthe same will be maintained throughout the various normal facialmovements and contortions of said person.

3. The surgical mask defined in claim 2 wherein each of the air passagesis at least partially lined with a linseywoolsey like fabric materialwhich serves to collect moisture and dust from the air passing throughsaid air passages.

4. A surgical mask comprising: a unitary cup-shaped mask of impermeablemolded construction having a central portion of a size and shape tocover the mouth and nostrils of a person wearing the same, andsufficiently flexible to conform with its upper and lower edge regionsgenerally to the outlines of the persons face about the nose and chinrespectively; an upper flexible sealing flap means extending inwardlyfrom the upper edge region of said mask toward said central portion anddiverging from the adjacent interior surface of said mask so as toterminate in a free edge spaced from said interior surface, said uppersealing flap being adapted to conform to, and resiliently engage, thenose and adjacent face areas of a person wearing said mask; a lowerflexible sealing flap means extending inwardly from the lower edgeregion of said mask toward said central portion and diverging from theadjacent interior surface of said mask so as to terminate in a free edgespaced from said interior surface, said lower sealing flap being adaptedto conform to, and resiliently engage, the chin and adjacent face areasof a person wearing said mask; integral molded channel portions definingexterior walls of air passages extending from the central portion ofsaid mask rearwardly along each side of said mask so as to terminate atopposed side edge regions of said mask, said air passages flaringoutwardly toward the rear so as to open substantially adjacent the cheekof a person wearing said mask; substantially flat plate-like meansdefining at least a portion of the interior walls of said air passages,said plate-like means extending rearwardly beyond the edge of said maskso as to lie adjacent the cheeks of a person wearing said mask andthereby prevent the cheeks of said person from obstructing said airpassages and; strap means joined to said mask for supporting said maskabout a persons head whereby exhaled air is exhausted fro-m saidcup-shaped mask through said air passages in a direction posteriorly ofthe head of a person wearing said mask and effective resilient sealingengagement between said mask and the face of a person wearing the sameis maintained throughout the normal facial movements of said person.

5. The surgical mask defined in claim 4 wherein each of the air passagesis at least partially lined with a linsey- Woolsey material which servesto collect moisture and dust from the air passing through said airpassages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,114 2/1904Sennett et al 128139 1,166,462 1/1916 King 128139 1,491,674 4/1924Coletti 128146 2,149,067 2/ 1939 Oter-o l28146 2,227,667 1/ 1941Panettiere 128139 2,265,529 12/1941 Kemp 128139 3,015,105 1/1962Rogowski 2-206 X 3,038,470 6/1962 Campbell 128-146 FOREIGN PATENTS134,432 11/ 1919 Great Britain.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A SURGICAL MASK COMPRISING: A UNITARY CUP-SHAPED MASK OF IMPERMEABLEMOLDED CONSTRUCTION HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TOCOVER THE MOUTH AND NOSTRILS OF A PERSON WEARING THE SAME, ANDSUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO CONFORM WITH ITS EDGE REGION GENERALLY TO THEOUTLINE OF THE PERSON''S FACE ABOUT THE NOSE; AND MASK HAVING INTEGRALMOLDED CHANNEL PORTIONS DEFINING THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF AIR PASSAGESEXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID MASK REARWARDLY ALONG EACHSIDE OF SAID MASK, SAID AIR PASSAGES FLARING OUTWARDLY TOWARD THE REARSO AS TO OPEN SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE CHECK OF THE PERSON WEARINGSAID MASK AND IN A DIRECTION FACING POSTERIORLY OF THE HEAD OF THEPERSON WEARING SAID MASK; SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLATE-LIKE MEANS DEFININGTHE INTERIOR WALLS OF SAID AIR PASSAGES, SAID PLATE-LIKE MEANS EXTENDINGREARWARDLY BEYOND THE EDGE OF SAID MASK AND LYING ADJACENT THE CHEEK OFTHE PERSON WEARING SAID MASK SO AS TO PREVENT THE CKEEKS OF THE PERSONFROM OBSTRUCTING SAID AIR PASSAGES, THE SIZE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTIONBEING SUCH THAT THE VOLUME ENCLOSED BETWEEN THE FACE OF THE PERSONWEARING THE MASK AND SAID CENTRAL PORTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THECOMBINED VOLUME OF SAID AIR PASSAGES; AND STRAP MEANS JOINED TO SAIDMASK FOR SUPPORTING THE LATTER ABOUT THE PERSON''S HEAD, WHEREBY EXHALEDAIR IS EXHAUSTED FROM SAID CUP-SHAPED MASK THROUGH SAID AIR PASSAGES INA DIRECTION POSTERIORLY OF THE HEAD OF THE PERSON WEARING SAID MASK ANDA SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE EXCHANGE OF AIR WITHIN SAID MASK OCCURS WITHEACH INHALATION AND EXHALATION.